OrderBy Inputs

OrderByInput types for sorting GraphQL query results

Audience: Programmer

OrderByInput types define how query results should be sorted in the pyck GraphQL API. They provide a standardized way to order results by various fields in ascending or descending order.

Common Structure

All OrderByInput types follow a consistent pattern:

input EntityOrder {
  field: EntityOrderField!
  direction: OrderDirection! = ASC
}

Where:

• field: An enum specifying which field to sort by

• direction: Either ASC (ascending) or DESC (descending)

Usage Examples

Basic Sorting

Sort inventory items by name in ascending order:

query {
  inventoryItems(orderBy: { field: NAME, direction: ASC }) {
    edges {
      node {
        id
        name
        sku
      }
    }
  }
}

Descending Order

Sort picking orders by creation date (newest first):

query {
  pickingOrders(orderBy: { field: CREATED_AT, direction: DESC }) {
    edges {
      node {
        id
        referenceId
        createdAt
      }
    }
  }
}

JavaScript Example

const result = await client.query({
  query: gql`
    query GetCustomers($orderBy: CustomerOrder) {
      customers(orderBy: $orderBy) {
        edges {
          node {
            id
            data
          }
        }
      }
    }
  `,
  variables: {
    orderBy: {
      field: 'TENANT_ID',
      direction: 'ASC'
    }
  }
});

Available Order Types

The following Order input types are available in pyck:

Input Type	Used For	Common Sort Fields
CustomerOrder	Customers	TENANT_ID, CREATED_AT, CREATED_BY
DataTypeOrder	Data type definitions	NAME, SLUG, CREATED_AT
EventOrder	Event definitions	NAME, TOPIC, CREATED_AT
FileOrder	File attachments	NAME, SIZE, CREATED_AT
GroupOrder	User groups	NAME, CREATED_AT
InventoryCollectionOrder	Inventory collections	HANDLER, CREATED_AT
InventoryItemOrder	Inventory items	SKU, CREATED_AT
InventoryItemSetOrder	Item sets	SKU, CREATED_AT
ItemMovementOrder	Item movements	CREATED_AT, EXECUTED_AT
KeyValueOrder	Key-value pairs	NAME, CREATED_AT
PickingOrderOrder	Picking orders	CUSTOMER_ID, CREATED_AT
PickingOrderItemOrder	Picking order items	SKU, QUANTITY, CREATED_AT
ReceivingInboundOrder	Receiving inbounds	ORDER_ID, SUPPLIER_ID, CREATED_AT
ReceivingInboundItemOrder	Inbound items	SKU, QUANTITY, CREATED_AT
RepositoryOrder	Repositories	NAME, TYPE, CREATED_AT
RepositoryMovementOrder	Repository movements	CREATED_AT, EXECUTED_AT
RoleOrder	User roles	NAME, CREATED_AT
StockOrder	Stock levels	CREATED_AT, QUANTITY
SupplierOrder	Suppliers	TENANT_ID, CREATED_AT
TenantOrder	Tenants	NAME, CREATED_AT
TransactionOrder	Transactions	TYPE, CREATED_AT
UserOrder	Users	USERNAME, EMAIL, CREATED_AT
WorkflowOrder	Workflows	NAME, ACTIVE, CREATED_AT
WorkflowSignalOrder	Workflow signals	EVENT_NAME, CREATED_AT

Order Field Enums

Each entity has its own OrderField enum defining sortable fields. Common fields include:

• NAME - Entity name

• CREATED_AT - Creation timestamp

• UPDATED_AT - Last update timestamp

• REFERENCE_ID - External reference identifier

• SKU - Stock keeping unit

• EMAIL - Email address

• TYPE - Entity type

• EXECUTED_AT - Execution timestamp

Best Practices

1. Default Sorting: Consider providing a default sort order when none is specified

2. Performance: Be aware that sorting by non-indexed fields may impact query performance

3. Consistency: Use consistent sorting across related queries for better UX

4. Null Values: Understand how null values are sorted (typically first for ASC, last for DESC)

Combining with Pagination

OrderByInput works seamlessly with cursor-based pagination:

query {
  inventoryItems(
    first: 10,
    after: "cursor123",
    orderBy: { field: CREATED_AT, direction: DESC }
  ) {
    edges {
      node {
        id
        name
        createdAt
      }
      cursor
    }
    pageInfo {
      hasNextPage
      endCursor
    }
  }
}

See Also

• WhereInput Types for filtering

• Pagination for cursor-based pagination

• OrderDirection Enum for sort directions